The Mark Of Athena
by DaisyEmerald1
Summary: How do you find something lost a Millenia ago? You go back to were it was left last of course! Seven demigods will go to the ancient lands  Greece and Rome  to close the doors of death. Failing to do so could end the world...but you know... No Pressure!
1. Chapter 1

**JASON I**

Being a half-blood left little Jason found strange but even HE had to admit getting eaten by a tree was slightly weird...

Jason Grace had woken up that morning to the sound of heavy breathing, His eyes flew open finding himself face to face with a pair of bulging, yellow eyes. He screamed making the "thing" currently sitting on his chest scream too, falling with a thump onto the floor.

Suppressing a groan he stared aimlessly at the white washed ceiling above him before deciding that he couldn't, no matter how much he wanted to, ignore the squeaking creature on the floor and go back to sleep, it would be easier facing that, than having to endure that awful dream again...

Rubbing his eyes he rolled over on his side to the edge of the bed, to inspect the whimpering nymph.  
>"Ash! That's fifth time this week! How many times do I have to tell you, not to wake me up before dawn?" He motioned to the dark sky out the window, Ash looked at her feet and began to cry, as her tears made contact with the ground little tree seedlings popped up from the same place.<br>"Aw man...Not again." Muttered Jason as the seedlings began to grow, covering the walls with their leaves. He sat up from his bed and crouched down next to the shuddering green creature "Err...Ash...Please stop crying, I'm sorry I shouted at you." As he touched her shoulder, she lifted her head revealing her chlorophyll streaked face.

She really was a pretty little nymph, when she wasn't crying (her eyes got stained green which kinda' freaked Jason out). She had a dress made out of leaves that changed colour according to the season -it was currently orange, red and yellow for autumn - she also wore wooden sandals and her hair long and red was woven into a plait with blossoms, her ears were slightly pointed and she had a button nose which scrunched up as she began to cry even harder. Giving Ash an exasperated sigh and muttering something that suspiciously sounded like "Why me?" He ran out of the cabin grabbing his jeans and a fairly clean purple t-shirt, just barely dodging the huge roots starting to break through the hard polished wooded floor.

Jason ran awkwardly hopping on one leg trying to put on his jeans while also trying to fit his head through the hole in his t-shirt towards a huge Greek battle-ship -currently situated beside the lake- he started yelling and waving his arms waking the guards in front of it.

After identifying him they ran armour clanking to his aid. Holding up his hand signalling for them to wait for him to catch his breath, he gasped, "Please let me through I need to get Grover Underwood it's an emergency!"

The guards rolled their eyes and walked leisurely back to the boat while Jason sprinted towards it, grabbing a stick from one of the guard's hands, he'd done this enough times for them to stop tackling him to the ground while beating him in every vulnerable spot possible.

Finally the huge glittering, metal Festus Masthead loomed above him. Jason could never help but to stop and stare at the majestic looking Dragon who'd aided them so well in his first quest at Camp Half- Blood, "Sup, Festus! Watching out for anything boy?" Jason could have sworn the head nodded but shook this thought away as he walked sidelong to the boat he stopped about a quarter way in.

He Tapped the boat(with the stick)a designated amount of times before a door seemingly grew into a gaping rectangular shaped hole at the bowel. A ramp leading up to the door came into place and the guards who finally reached the Ship motioned for him to enter.

Jason sped-walked down a narrow hallway checking the number on each door using the light emitted from lanterns hanging from the ceiling. Finally, he reached one with a green grass mat covered in live flowers. Rapping his knuckles hard on the door he shouted, "Grover! I know you're up! I need your help! Ash's cover the cabin with trees again!" there was a thud, a bleating moan of pain and the 'click-clack' of hooves towards the door. The door opened revealing a disgruntled looking Grover covered in dirt, scratches and…flowers. "What?" he huffed "I was trying to feed Dede, now she's hiding with the monkeys again!"

After being appointed Lord of the Wilds Grover, recently discovered a Dodo whom he believed was sitting next to Pan the day he died, apparently the Dodo had not disappeared just as he'd thought. While on one of his many nature adventures he'd found her being chased by a harpy whom she'd tried to steal food from, she was extremely malnourished when Grover took her in.

Jason switched onto a mid-trance as he always did when Grover started rambling on about Dede, he could just hear him: "Do you know how important it is for her to eat? She's the last Dodo, the last piece of life Pan gave to the world! She is the symbol of hope for all of man and mythical kind!"  
>Grover noticed Jason staring with a glazed look into the distance looking cross-eyed; He stamped his hoof impatiently, and said loudly to wake Jason up, "Why does everyone always have that look when I start talking about this? Anyway Dede really needs t-..."<p>

Before Grover could get into a spirited lecture on why Dede the Dodo needed to have her morning oatmeal Jason interrupted with something he'd noticed earlier "Dude…Why you have flowers in your hair?"

Grover flushed "Juniper stopped by; she said they suited my eyes." Jason gave him a quizzical look "Oookay." Before Grover had a chance to start talking again he asked "Do you have any fertilizer? Ash had a crying-tree episode again." Grover rolled his eyes (why did so many people do this to him?) and motioned Jason to enter his room.

As he walked in Jason looked around, Grover had the coolest room ever! It appeared to be an extremely colourful, tropical rainforest with vines stretching across the canopy of trees ceiling and dangling over a comfy looking hammock hanging between two more trees and a moss covered stone table with two square looking boulders which were in a clearing in the middle of the room.  
>The air was full of bird calls and sun rays were poking through the "ceiling" of trees.<p>

The sunlight always fascinated Jason he stuck the palm of his hand under a ray of light and immediately felt warm from head to toe. Turning to examine the room further Jason spotted a monkey or two dangling on branches looking curiously at him, he smiled at them and they threw him some...poo in return which he quickly side-stepped.

On the wall in front of him-the most normal wall with hardly any growth only some moss and mushrooms- a shelf stocked with: dried flowers, jars of suspicious looking bugs and liquid, a reed pipe, packets of seeds and three buckets of fertilizer was standing, "Okay, so which fertilizer?" Grover asked turning while fiddling with the reed pipe (he'd recently learnt a whole album of Hilary Duff) Peering at the fertilizers Jason could've laughed but he held it in with a smirk.

"Um...I'll have the one with the hippie satyr saying 'calm your farm!' you know he looks a lot like you..." He said and squinted his eyes as he peered closer, Grover blanched and muttered something under his breath of which Jason only caught "Advertising" and "Pink Nymphs" he lifted his head showing his VERY red face and said out-loud. "Err...It's not hippie it's Bohemian..." Jason decided against asking, so instead he thanked him as graciously as he could without laughing.

"Thanks Grover, you're the best!" as an afterthought he added "By the way, Good luck with those Pink Nymphs!" Grover started to get progressively redder as he handed him the bucket. Suddenly there was a loud screech from a thicker area of the forest/room, the satyrs' eyes widened all colour draining from his face, he pushed Jason toward the door loudly whispering, "Go! Hurry! Dede's coming down she'll make a run for it again if there's anyone else here!" he gave Jason one last shove that sent him sprawling on the ground arms flailing, Grover shouted a "Sorry...And don't tell Juniper about the Nymphs!" from inside the closed room.

"Gods! That satyr is getting insanely stronger and bossier by the minute!" Jason muttered to himself as he brushed off and stood up. He noticed the bucket hadn't handled the shove as well as he did and was cracked at the lid and through the satyr (aka Grover) making him look like he'd been in some freak fertilizing accident with a great big gash in his middle and through his head, where Jason had fallen-bottom first- on him which had resulted in a huge spill of multicoloured balls which reminded Jason nervously of blood.

Shaking the dream and the dreaded thought of blood from his mind, he gingerly lifted the bucket up and cradled it in his arms to avoid the fertilizer going everywhere. As quickly as he could he walked through the corridor, down the ramp (pass the sleeping guards) tripped over a rock and towards his barracks where a giant oak had torn through the ceiling "Damn! I must have taken longer than I thought!" he groaned as he noticed it clearer than he should have with the sun just peeking through its massive arm like branches.

Getting closer Jason realized they WERE actually arms. He could see the main trunk had two closed eyes a nose and a huge bawling mouth. Jason did a double-take "A-Ash?" the eyes flew open revealing milky white irises and the nymph, now tree pointed a twiggy finger at Jason "You! You made me like this! I'm Hideous! I'm a TREE!" Jason gulped closing his previously agape mouth "Err…Yeah, how did THAT happen?" The nymph/tree suddenly opened her mouth wide and let out a blood curdling shriek in defiance.

Ignoring the buzzing in his ears Jason walked cautiously forward holding his hands up in surrender, from the ground he could see the Nymph's eyes following him, he was suddenly aware of all the shouting in the distance and looking at the hill where the battle-ship was proudly standing he could see the Guards, Piper, Leo and the blond head of Annabeth hurtling down the hill. He heard Piper screaming his name and in his peripheral vision Reyna barking orders at some soldiers as they were marching towards him as if on cue he also saw an angry mass of arrows coming towards them.

Ash must've seen them too because she rolled her football sized eyes and stared down at Jason speaking in a mock baby voice "OOO! Jason needs help he's scared of poor little Ashy he's going to go run to his friends!" He gave her a hard stare before deciding what to do. He reached down and lifted the bottom of his jeans revealing a gladius strapped to the inside of his leg, he unstrapped it and held it firmly in his hands, summoning as much air as he could he let it push him up to the leering face of the tree. As he started getting higher the Nymph's mouth opened in shock, he took it as an opportunity and ran in mid-air with more speed than thought possible down into the huge wooden mouth and plunged into a gaping black abyss.


	2. Chapter 2

PIPER II

Piper woke up sweating and shivering, her covers were in a tangled mess around her legs, the result of a restless sleep. She closed her eyes in an almost painful manner and tried to remember what had jerked her awake.

All she could remember as always was a flash of light and an evil cackling laugh. She ran her hand through her hair stopping at the ends to twirl it through her fingers, a habit she'd picked up ever since the horrible nightmares started plaguing everybody.

She could remember the night it had all started very clearly almost like it had been burned into her mind...

_(Flashback)  
>It was a week after the Greeks had arrived in their great battle-ship glory. As everyone had predicted the Romans had taken a while to adjust to the idea of their forever thought enemies roaming around their camp and eating at their table. Octavian, a creepy skinny dude who'd always seemed to be holding a stuffed toy and a knife while muttering in a creepy way every time she passed, had been trying to convince everybody in the camp that the Greeks had set up a skillfully planned inside attack, much like the Trojan horse of Troy the Graecus would sneak into their barracks in the middle of the night to slit their throats, cut out their spines and strangle them with their shoelaces before they could reach their swords. As much as the idea repulsed her, Piper had to give the guy props for his imagination.<em>

She had been trying to ignore Reyna's dirty looks at her for the past week and Jason's face arranged in a way that one could only recognize as guilt. She didn't understand why he looked guilty. It's not like they were going out or in any relationship other than a hardly platonic friendship.

_She was walking through some soggy grass up to the ship; it had hardly been a very cheery dinner. You could almost see the awkwardness in the air as well as the spirits flitting around to serve food. With Reyna staring at her with looks that could kill, Jason fidgeting uncomfortably, Percy with his head down muttering something to Annabeth who was somberly nodding, even more surprisingly Leo wasn't cracking his usual stupid joke just fiddling with something in his lap. In the end Piper decided that she couldn't take it anymore, she stood up mumbling the stupid excuse of being tired and walked out feeling Jason's eyes on her back. _

_She could see Festus's head glinting in the light of the sun-setting and smiled a small rare smile. She walked at a faster pace ignoring the damp grass soaking the bottom of her jeans and making her shoes squelch slightly. Grabbing the stick from the sleeping guards (They were pretty useless in her opinion their snores could drown out anything in a 100 mile radius), she tapped the solid wood impatiently and leaped up on the ramp before it even touched the ground._

_She marched down the narrow hallway, reaching her room door she wrenched it open and walked slowly to a table beside her comfortable looking bed. What she would've given to just leap under the sheets, close her eyes and forget everything about Jason and the quest to save the world(and most likely kill them). But her faithful demi-god alter-ego kicked in, telling her to shut-up, stop moping and kill some monsters, she couldn't very well fight against that. _

_Piper unclipped Katoptris's sheath from her belt and gingerly placed in on her bedside table. As if on a second thought she drew the dagger from its comfortably fitting leather pocket and stared at the reflection before her, a tired worn out girl who looked at least 10 years her senior stared back. Trying to ignore the reflection she flipped the comfortably fitting handle in her hand and traced the slight markings on the wood. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye she saw something stir behind her in the reflection. Lurching round in a semi-circle Piper held the dagger out to the seemingly empty room._

_There was nothing there…but she could've sworn she saw shadows moving in the reflection and her gut instinct told her it was definitely not a mouse. Still in a somewhat defensive stance she spoke in a wobbling voice hoping her hunch was wrong "Hello? I-Is anyone there?" A deep voice rumbled from every corner of the room talking in a jeering voice._

"_All you humans are so stupid…it's not like your mortal enemy is going to shout out, Why yes I'm right here under the bed! I'm here to kill you but don't worry I'll do it quickly!" I told the gods you humans were a waste of time but no one listens to me!" _

_Piper whirled around trying to find out where the voice was came from and put on a bolder voice than what she was feeling, forcing out a convincing voice. "Who are you? What do you want?" The voice chuckled "Ahhh Child, your mothers powers aren't going to work on me I've made the best of minds insane with fear with MY voice your petty powers are nothing on me! I'm your worst nightmare!" There was a snap and as if on cue the Shadows from every corner came to life with huge empty eyes and sharp fingers, dragging themselves across the floor and walls closing in on her, as they got closer they unstuck themselves from the floor and walked with their arms out towards her. _

_Too scared to even scream she pointed her knife at them trying to ward them off, they seemed slightly nervous at the sight of it but at a rumble of encouragement from their master they quickly went forward and enveloped her in a huge black mass. Piper felt cold and heard a cackling laugh before she collapsed. Her last thought being, "He definitely wasn't under the bed."_

_(End Flashback) _

Piper found herself staring out the window lost in the recollection of that horrible night. She remembered waking up afterwards and going to breakfast still shaking. From the whispering and hushed voices as well as the purple and black shadows under everyone's eyes she decided they didn't exactly have a fun night either. She chose not to mention the voice, it was just too horrible. It had gotten slightly better during the last three weeks but no one had forgotten that night. It was a warning, what had happened could be made to happen every day until everyone was delirious and mad with lack of sleep and the horrible nightmares.

Piper thought of the lighter side of those weeks with the Romans, who had seemed shocked at how the Greeks lacked much discipline and the Romans generally power-hungry demeanor. She placed her cheek beside the cool glass of her window and gazed across at the scenery before her almost going cross-eyed as she caught glimpses of the rarely quiet streets of New Rome-a beautiful city with an OCD god that guarded it- she could easily the huge temple of Jupiter as well as the teeny Neptune shed beside it, grinning she remembered Annabeth's face when Percy showed it to them, and her snort of laughter at the sad looking building.

The sun had just started to poke its head up from the horizon and the sky glowed red and orange with pink fairy-floss clouds. Far-beyond the limited scenery her window showed, she imagined the miles of grass, angry wheat cherubs and smatterings of towns and farms with innocent people going on with their normal lives, while close-by she knew there would be horrible monsters beyond their wildest and freakiest dreams hidden from view but very much there.

Deciding to push that depressing thought out of her mind, Piper looked away from the window and to her room. The Voice had left her feeling vulnerable and weak and decidedly more scared of corners, she still hadn't told anyone about it, not even Annabeth who would probably know something of it right away, but she wasn't mean enough to burst her happy little bubble of being with Percy. They were so cute together, she saw the hope they held in their eyes when Percy showed everyone New Rome. Piper wished she could one day live there too with or without Jason; she quickly pushed that thought out of her mind, No Piper! Jason liked Reyna they were the perfect power couple with their golden thrones and dogs who could detect lies and wanted to eat her if they could.

Shaking her head from the rest of the disturbing thoughts trying to weasel their way in, she stood up from the bed and arched her back, stretching. She stifled a yawn and clumsily walked to her wardrobe to pick some clothes to change into. She grabbed one of her multiple orange shirts and non-designer ripped jeans that probably would've made Drew faint. After assembling her clothes together she stuffed them into near-by bag and grabbed her toiletries bag to stuff that in too as well as her towel. She glanced at her night-stand where her knife was balancing and picked it up, Better safe than Sorry, she thought.

Rubbing her eyes from any sleep she pulled her door open and walked slowly down the ship's hallway to the exit door. Hopefully she could get to the baths before they got too full. As much as some Romans annoyed her, they sure knew how to make a bath, the first time she'd tried the baths she almost died and went to Elysium. They were just so amazing; she made a note to mention something like that to Chiron for Camp Half-Blood if or when they went back.

Reaching the exit she thumped the wood with her fist once and the outline of a door appeared complete with a bronze colored handle. Grasping the handle she opened the door and sighed happily, there was hardly anyone around except for some really keen campers who woke up at the crack of dawn.

She breathed the cool clean air in deeply regretting it almost instantly when a morning fly flew up her nose making her cough, splutter and sneeze until it shot out her left nostril. The fly had distracted her from the view above the camp and she glanced just about where Jason's Praetor House was. Something caught her eye and she gasped in shock. A huge tree had burst right through his roof and a blond-headed boy who looked very much like Jason was waving one hand around while his other was holding a bucket with colorful looking beads spilled out onto the ground near his feet.

The tree suddenly…talked or rather shouted, "You! You made me HIDEOUS! I'm a TREE!" pointing one of its branches at Jason. Yep. She'd gone mad; all the nightmares had finally made her go mad. Because of this she'd have to be separated from civilization and far, far away from Jason once they found out she saw a tree talk and move it's "arms" around. Then the world would end but she'd stay in a deep dark hole still babbling about some talking tree…great.

A shrill cry kicked her out of her semi-conscious state and she noticed all the campers had started running towards the tree shouting and brandishing their swords. Leading the campers she saw Reyna. She wasn't mad! There was a talking tree there! Deciding that Jason would need more help she made her voice bellow through the door of the ship.

"GET UP EVERYONE! There's an Attack of the Leafy kind! Grab your weapons Jason needs help!" Obviously her screaming had worked and she heard confused shouts coming from deeper inside the ship. Piper heard the clip-clop of Grover's hooves and saw a flash of Annabeth's hair before she ran down the hill at full speed shouting to wake the guards out to help her. She knew everyone else was following her already by their shouts behind her.

Just before she reached the bottom, Piper stopped her brain finally analyzing why Jason had flown higher to match the tree's height, just like everyone else she stopped in mid-shout as they saw Jason dive into the giant tree's mouth. In the corner of her eye she saw Reyna with her mouth gaping open looking just how Piper felt.

After what felt like an hour, cries of "What in Hades/ Pluto just happened? And, Did he just get eaten by a tree?" started to pierce through Piper's ears as she stared up at the tree who had just become silent, un-doubtedly in shock as well. She felt Leo bump shoulders with her, still wearing his oil stained orange t-shirt and magical belt looking like he'd spent all night working in the forges, which he probably had.

"Errr…I just got here, did I miss something? What's up with that tree in Jason's Cabin? PLEASE don't tell me the dude can warp into a tree cos' that's just so unfair…" Piper barely heard him and just stared in a dazed sort of shock. Suddenly strangled cries abruptly rang through the air and everyone backed up in horror as the tree started shudder and cry out in surprise. It's branches started writhing and folding in on itself and at a last resort the tree took in a gulp of air letting out an ear-popping burp that not only let out a horrible smell of fertilizer but a dazed and mossy looking Jason, who fell with a thump onto the ground.

Pipers mouth flew open and her eyes bulged as the tree started to shrink and its branches started to fall through the already destroyed cabin until it finally disappeared. Everyone still in a state of shock inched closer to Jason as he got to his feet and stared dazedly at everyone "Wha..what just Happened?" Of course Leo being the ultimate ice-breaker shouted out "DUDE you got barfed out by a tree! That's so awesome you gotta teach me!" Everyone including Piper groaned.


End file.
